Cleaning apparatus with suction filter in a transparent receptacle



Feb. 16, 1965 A B CAMPBELL 3,159,343

CLEANING APPYXRAZTUS WITH SUCTION FILTER IN A TRANSPARENT RECEPTACLE Original Filed Nov. 9, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4/ A {ml Feb. 16, 1965 Original Filed Nov. 9, 1961 A. B. CAMPBELL CLEANING APPARATUS ,WITH SUCTION FILTER IN A TRANSPARENT RECEPTACLE $w1zm-2 wmgfiw &7M Agra-r mum 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,169,843 CLEANING APPARATUS WITH SUCTION FILTER IN A TRANSPARENT RECEPTACLE Albert R. Campbell, Glen Ellyn, 11]., assignor to Campbell Products Company, Bensenville, EL, a corporation of Illinois 7 Original application Nov. 9, 1961, Ser. No. 151,337. Divided and this application June 7, 1962, Ser. No.

3 Claims. (Cl. 55-467) The present invention relates generally to appliances used in the treatment of hair or scalp, and more particularly to apparatus for cleaning, dandruff, or loose bits of hair from the scalp and adjacent areas.

This is a divisional application of Serial No. 151,337, filed November 9, 1961, now abandoned.

In a typical usage the subject apparatus may be utilized by a barber or hairdresser in cleaning the hair and scalp of a person whose hair has just been cut. This eliminates the annoying subsequent accumulation of loose bits of hair, dandruff, etc. on the shoulders and neck of the person whose hair has been cut, and without employing a hair washing operation. The subject apparatus may also be used advantageously in removing such bits of hair, etc. which fall on the neck and shoulders during cutting.

Basically, the present invention relates to an apparatus including a filtering device communicating with suction means, the filtering device being located inside a transparent receptacle connected to a flexible conduit terminating at a scalp-engaging nozzle. All of the parts can be readily disassembled for cleaning.

Other features and advantages are inherent in the structure claimed and disclosed, or will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating the subject apparatus in use, in cleaning the scalp of a person;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a portion of the apparatus of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a side view, partially in section, of one embodiment of a nozzle for use with the subject apparatus;

FIGURE 5 is a front view of the nozzle of FIGURE 4; FIGURE 6 is a view, partially in section, taken along line 6-6 in FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a portion of the nozzle of FIGURES 4 to 6.

Referring initially to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated a barber or hairdresser 10 cleaning the scalp 11 of a person 12 with apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention. A nozzle 15 is connected to one end of a flexible conduit 16, the other end of which is connected at 25 to a closed transparent receptacle 17 including a bottom and side walls and into which extends a hollow filter element 18 in turn communicating with conventional suction means indicated generally at 20.

FIGURES 2 and 3 illustrate conduit 16, receptacle 17, and filter 18 in greater detail. Conduit 16 includes a first connector portion 24 communicating with nozzle 15 (FIGURES 4 and 6) and a second connector portion 25 slideably received in an opening 26 in a fitting 27 and held therein by an O ring 23. Fitting 27 in internally threaded at 28 to engage an upper externally threaded portion 29 of receptacle 17. Fitting opening 26 communicates with an upper opening 19 in receptacle 17. Dandrufi, and loose bits of hair sucked from scalp 11 and adjacent areas through nozzle 15 and conduit 16 into receptacle 17 settle in the bottom of receptacle 17, which is provided with transparent side walls so that an observer may view when the receptacle is full and may then take appropriate emptying action. Receptacle 17 is unenclosed for better observation thereof.

Extending through upper opening 19 in receptacle 17 is the filter element indicated generally at 18 and comprising porous side walls 30 through which air may pass but through which dandruff, and hair may not. Filter 18 also includes a separate, discrete bottom portion 31 located above the bottom of receptacle 17; and a bolt-like rod 32 having a head 33 engages below and terminates at bottom 31 Rod 32 extends upwardly through bottom 31 and inside the side walls 30 of filter 18, and terminates at an upper threaded portion 34 which engages means 35 defining an internally threaded tapped portion or threaded opening on fitting 27. By this arrangement, filter 18 is held in place in the position illustrated in FIGURE 2. Filter 18 also includes a separate, discrete, bottomgrooved top portion 36 having a centrally located, vertically disposed tubular portion or opening 37 communicating with an opening 38 in fitting 27. Fitting tapped portion 35 is above openings 37, 38 and rod 32 extends upwardly through these openings. All of the parts can be readily disassembled for cleaning merely by unscrewing receptacle 17 from fitting 27 and unscrewing rod 32. When the upper threaded portion 34 of rod 32 is screwed into tapped portion 35, the filter elements bottom portion 31, side walls 30 and top portion 36 are all maintained in assembled condition. Bottom portion 31 is sandwiched between rod head 33 and side walls 30; and top portion 36 is sandwiched'between side walls 30 and that part of fitting 27 defining opening 38.

Fitting 27 also includes an integral tubular portion 40 extending angularly to and communicating with fitting opening 38. Tubular portion 40 is slideably received in an opening 41 in suction means 20 and is held in place therein by an O-ring 42. Filtered air passing through filter 18 moves upwardly through tubular portion 37, through fitting opening 38, through fitting tubular portion 40, and into suction means 20.

Hollow nozzle 15 is shown in detail in FIGURES 4 through 7. Nozzle 15 includes a tubular portion 50 for receiving conduit connector portion 24. Integral with tubular portion 50 are converging top and bottom walls 51, 52 respectively, and diverging side walls 53, 54. Walls 51, 52, 53 and 54 terminate at a scalp-engaging surface indicated generally at 55 in FIGURE 4 and comprising a plurality of alternate scalp-contacting surface portions 56 and open notches 58. Utilizing an arrangement of this nature, rather than a slot-like opening extending across the entire scalp-engaging surface, prevents the skin on the scalp and adjacent areas from being sucked into the interior of the nozzle, which can be irritating and uncomfortable.

It should be noted from FIGURES 4 to 7 that all of the edges of scalp-contacting portions 56- are rounded to prevent scraping or irritation of the skin on the scalp or adjacent areas. It should also be noted that notches 58 are open on all sides and communicate with the interior of hollow nozzle 15. By virtue of this arrangement, when the nozzle 15 is moved across the scalp, hair is sucked into notches 58 where the hair is exposed to a cleansing suction action on all sides thereof. This enables nozzle 15 to suck dandruff, and loose hair off the hair strand all the way down to its roots. If the scalp-engaging surface 55 of the nozzle were provided merely with openings therein instead of open notches as at 58, the hair would not be so likely to enter the interior of the nozzle and thus would not be subjected to a cleansing action on all sides thereof, nor would the hair be cleaned so closely to the roots as with the arrangement including open notches 58.

There has thus been described an apparatus for use in cleaning the scalp of a person; and all the parts are readily disassembled for cleaning. The foregoing de-. tailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skillediin the art. 7 1

Iclaim: V

1. Cleaning apparatus connectable to a conduit termin'ating at a cleaning nozzle, said apparatus comprisa transparent, unenclosed, one-piece receptacle including a bottom and side walls; said receptacle having a top opening;

external threads on said receptacle around said top 7 p ng;

a fitting having internal threads engaging said external threads around said top opening of the receptacle to mount said fitting in air-tight engagement to said o receptacle;

a first opening in said fitting, communicating with the top opening in said receptacle, and including means for slidably receiving a conduit connector portion;

a second opening in said fitting;

a hollow filter element having a bottom located above the bottom and Within said receptacle, porous side walls, and a top opening in communication with the second opening in said fitting;

means on said fitting, above the second opening therein, defining a threaded opening;

means extending upwardly through the hollow filter consisting essentially of a bolt-like rod having a head engaging beneath and terminating at the bottom of said filter, said rod terminating at an upper a threaded portion engaged in said threaded opening of a V the fitting;

said fitting having an integral tubular portion, extending angularly to. and communicating with said second opening in the fitting, and terminating at anopenand suction means including opening means for slid- Vably' receiving said integral tubular portion of the fitting;

said receptacle being located outside of said suction means.

2. Cleaning apparatus as recited in claim 1 and comprising:

an O ring in said opening means in'the suction means;

\ and an 0 ring in the first opening in said fitting;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 279,572. Leaycraft IunelS, 1883 975,396 Cochran Nov. 15, 1910 2,469,328 Cox May 3, 1949 2,669,318 Briggs Feb. 16,1954

Martin Nov. 21, 1961 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,169,843 February 16, 1965 Albert B. Campbell It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 1, line 13, after "cleaning" strike out the comma; Y column 3, line 28-, before "bottom" insert receptacle column 4, line. 16,, beginning with "3. Cleansing" strike out all to and including "bottom" in line 17, same column 4, and

insert instead:

3. Cleaning apparatus as i recited in claim 1 wherein said filter element includes:

a separate, discrete bottom Signed and sealed this 27th day of July 1965.

(SEAL) Attest ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. CLEANING APPARATUS CONNECTABLE TO A CONDUIT TERMINATING AT A CLEANING NOZZLE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: A TRANSPARENT, UNENCLOSED, ONE-PIECE RECEPTACLE INCLUDING A BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS; SAID RECEPTACLE HAVING A TOP OPENING; EXTERNAL THREADS ON SAID RECEPTACLE AROUND SAID TOP OPENING; A FITTING HAVING INTERNAL THREADS ENGAGING SAID EXTERNAL THREADS AROUND SAID TOP OPENING OF THE RECEPTACLE TO MOUNT SAID FITTING IN AIR-TIGHT ENGAGEMENT TO SAID RECEPTACLE; A FIRST OPENING IN SAID FITTING, COMMUNICATING WITH THE TOP OPENING IN SAID RECEPTACLE, AND INCLUDING MEANS FOR SLIDABLE RECEIVING A CONDUIT CONNECTOR PORTION; A SECOND OPENING IN SAID FITTING; A HOLLOW FILTER ELEMENT HAVING A BOTTOM LOCATED ABOVE THE BOTTOM AND WITHIN SAID RECEPTACLE, POROUR SIDE WALLS, AND A TOP OPENING IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE SECOND OPENING IN SAID FITTING; MEANS ON SAID FITTING, ABOVE THE SECOND OPENING THEREIN, DEFINING A THREADED OPENING; MEANS EXTENDING UPWARDLY THROUGH THE HOLLOW FILTER CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A BOLT-LIKE ROD HAVING A HEAD ENGAGING BENEATH AND TERMINATING AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID FILTER, SAID ROD TERMINATING AT AN UPPER THREADED PORTION ENGAGED IN SAID THREADED OPENING OF THE FITTING; SAID FITTING HAVING AN INTEGRAL TUBULAR PORTION, EXTENDING ANGULARLY TO AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SECOND OPENING IN THE FITTING, AND TERMINATING AT AN OPENING; AND SUCTION MEANS INCLUDING OPENING MEANS FOR SLIDABLE RECEIVING SAID INTEGRAL TUBULAR PORTION OF THE FITTING; SAID RECEPTACLE BEING LOCATED OUTSIDE OF SAID SUCTION MEANS. 